Even Liverpool players have been surprised by Reds' title challenge, admits striker Luis Suarez

The forward admits that the squad have been taken aback by the level of performances this term, as they close in on the title

Gobsmacked: Suarez admits he has been surprised by Liverpool's title push

The party invitations are being prepared. They will be sent out on Monday if Liverpool beat Chelsea this weekend, for a celebration that could start at Selhurst Park a week later.

But even though they will ­probably carry a picture of Luis Suarez on the front, the Uruguayan admitted last night he still can’t quite get his head around the Reds' dream season.

Three games from a first title in 24 years, their first of the Premier League era, for a team that did not even qualify for Europe last term, 11 straight wins taking them to the brink of glory.

No wonder that the spearhead and talisman of Brendan Rodgers’ side looks round the dressing room at the club’s Melwood base and wonders if it’s not all a grand delusion.

“Winning the title this season would be something that no one would believe,” said Suarez. “The truth is that we are surprised ourselves at how well we’re playing.

“We have good players, yes. But if you look at the complete squad, we don’t have the players to be up there.”

For the Uruguayan hitman, it is the financial reality that makes Liverpool’s ­potential achievement all the more remarkable.

While Chelsea have spent a net £172million and Manchester City £131.2m in the three full seasons since Suarez’s arrival from Ajax, ­Liverpool’s transfer dealings have cost them only £85.6m.

And they have only the fifth largest wage bill in the Premier League.

Suarez said: “We have good players who are demonstrating why they are at ­Liverpool. But it would be something amazing, even to the whole of England, because of the investment made by Chelsea, City and Arsenal.

“Even Tottenham have spent over £100m and we, with so little investment, are in that position. It would be incredible.”

Not, perhaps, as incredible as the South American star’s own transformation, from the most criticised player in the country to arguably the best.

Almost exactly a year ago, Suarez appeared to be entering the ­beginning of the end of his stay at Anfield, the biting incident with ­Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic seemingly the final straw.

After all, the Uruguayan was still stained by the Patrice Evra race-row and its aftermath, while the summer was to bring his attempts to engineer a move to either Real Madrid or Arsenal.

But Liverpool, with Rodgers backed by owner John Henry, stood firm, knowing the striker was key to their campaign.

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And 12 months after that day of shame, Suarez’s personal transformation stands as the embodiment of the ­Rodgers’ Merseyside miracle.

On Sunday, Suarez will take on Jose Mourinho’s Blues as the hero of the Kop’s title ­challenge.

Within a couple of hours of the final whistle, he will join half of Rodgers’ squad on a private jet to London, where he is a racing certainty to be feted as Player of the Year by the PFA.

At Carrow Road last weekend, at least four Uruguay flags were spotted among the travelling Kop - a clear and public symbol of their recognition that Suarez, perhaps even more than skipper Steven Gerrard, is the reason why the prize is so tantalisingly within their grasp.

His 30 goals are just one behind the 38-game Premier League season goal record set by Alan Shearer in 1995-6, and only matched by ­Cristiano Ronaldo 12 years later.

He needs five more to break the marks set, in 42-game campaigns, by Andy Cole in 1993-94 and Shearer the following term.

That is a ­remarkable feat considering Suarez was banned for the first five games of the season as a result of biting Ivanovic.

But as Rodgers pointed out last week: “It’s 30 goals out of 96. It shows he’s an influential player, a world-class talent and a terrific talent for our team. It’s a great achievement.”

It will be, for Suarez and Liverpool. As great as the Uruguayan believes it to be.

Nobody, really, saw it coming. Yet it seems as if it’s about to arrive.

Cheap and cheerful

Transfer fees paid by the top seven Premier League clubs since Brendan Rodgers was appointed Liverpool manager in summer 2012 - and where each of those sides sit in the current table...